The present invention relates to apparatus for removing sheets or the like from stacks, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for removing successive lowermost sheets from one or more stacks of superimposed sheets. Stacks which can be converted into a succession of discrete sheets in the apparatus of the present invention may constitute piles of superimposed labels, wrapper blanks or other flexible sheet-like commodities of the type utilized in the tobacco processing industry, e.g., for the making of packs which contain plain or filter-tipped cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos, cheroots, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco or other smokers' products.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,820 granted Feb. 17, 1970 to Seragnoli discloses a sheet removing apparatus wherein a plate-like support is reciprocable along the underside of the lowermost sheet in a stack together with a suction roll which is driven while it moves with the support to peel the lowermost sheet off the underside of the next-to-the-lowermost sheet during movement transversely of the stack. The roll attracts one marginal portion of the lowermost sheet and coils the lowermost sheet around its periphery during movement toward the other marginal portion. The topmost portion or apex of the roll is located at the level of the upper side of the support, i.e., the plane of the upper side of the support is tangential to the peripheral surface of the roll.
It has been found that such apparatus will operate satisfactorily as long as the rate of removal of sheets is below a certain limit. If the rate increases, the apparatus is likely to remove two or more sheets at a time, mainly because the neighboring sheets adhere to each other with a substantial force, especially if the surfaces of the sheets are smooth.